


to meet again

by LiveLaughLovex



Series: first to fight [9]
Category: The Code (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Reunions, Gen, New Year's Eve, Post-Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22080583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: The first New Year's Eve Harper spends with the Abraham family ends up being just a little bit happier than they'd originally anticipated.
Relationships: John "Abe" Abraham/Harper Li
Series: first to fight [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1471817
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	to meet again

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to have this connected to some of what's going on in the real world, but then figured that, in LIGHT of all that's going on in the real world, you could all probably use a feel-good story. Is there a battalion currently cycling home from the Middle East? No idea, so I'm having this entire story fall under creative license.
> 
> Also, should this have been posted on the thirty-first? Yes, but I'm a procrastinator. Will there be a New Year's Day story posted in the morning? Most likely. I'd apologize, but the food I spent yesterday eating and movies I spent yesterday watching were way too amazing for me to mean it.

Deborah Abraham smiled merrily, stepping aside to let Harper and her son into the house. “Happy New Year’s Eve,” she greeted cheerfully, embracing them both briefly and then leading them into the kitchen. “There are a ton of treats left over from Christmas, because, as usual, I have no self-control when it comes to baked goods.”

“She really doesn’t,” Abe stage-whispered, placing a hand on Harper’s back to gently guide her into the dining room. “Remind me to tell you about the Cookie Fiasco of 1994 sometime.”

His mother sighed deeply, suggesting it wasn’t the first time the topic had been brought up. “For the hundredth time, John, Candace was six,” she reminded him with exasperated fondness. “She didn’t purposely pour in salt instead of sugar when we were mixing up the cookies.”

“Well, Liam _had_ just accidentally torn one of the arms off her Barbie doll, and those _were_ his favorite cookies,” he pointed out. “Make of that what you will.” He turned to Harper. “She’d done it to all 200 cookies, but Mom said it would be wasteful to throw them all away, so we just forced our taste buds to endure the torture instead of tossing them out.”

“ _200 cookies_?” Harper repeated, her eyes widening slightly.

Deborah shrugged. “I grew up with four brothers that ate more in a day than most people do in a week,” she offered by way of explanation. “My mother’s cooking habits stuck with me through the years. They’re still a problem for me now, especially since two of my three children don’t even live in the area.”

“She made 200 cookies every year,” Abe confirmed. “And we were never allowed to throw any away, even when Candace tried to kill us with them.”

“There wasn’t enough salt to kill you, Johnny; stop being so dramatic,” his mother requested laughingly. “And don’t pretend your father didn’t help you smuggle them out of the house when I wasn’t looking. He confessed to it before the day was over, anyway. The man never did learn how to lie to me.”

“To be fair, I don’t think he ever put in much effort,” Abe replied, smiling warmly at the mention of his father.

“Not when it came to me,” Deborah agreed. “He tried like heck to lie to Candace about the cookies that year, though. She was so happy about helping me, and he didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth.”

“Maybe it wasn’t that he didn’t have the heart to tell me,” Candace began, making her way down the stairs. “Maybe they really were just that delicious.”

“That’s not at all correct, but sure,” Abe allowed, briefly embracing his younger sister and then pulling away with that smile of his that only came out when he was surrounded by family. It was an expression Harper felt an immense amount of fondness for. “If that’s what you want to tell yourself, kid, keep right on doing it.”

“I will, thank you very much,” Candace said primly, turning to hug Harper, as well. “So glad to see my brother finally got his head out of his ass,” she murmured before pulling away. “It’s great to have you here.”

“It’s great to be here,” Harper returned honestly. “Is there anything I can help with?”

Deborah shook her head. “I’m making jambalaya. Abraham family tradition,” she explained. “Tomorrow will be shepherd’s pie and soda bread. That’s something brought to the table by my family,” she added. “We carb-load the day before everyone goes on diets; that’s _our_ tradition.”

“It’s a delicious one,” Candace supplied from the kitchen table, scrolling through her phone. “Everything’s made totally from scratch; it’s amazing,” she told Harper. “They’re recipes our great-grandmother brought over from Ireland, too.”

Deborah nodded, gesturing for them to claim seats at the table, as well. “They are. I had to promise I wouldn’t change even the smallest detail before my mother shared them,” she informed Harper. “What about you?” she asked a moment later. “Does your family have any traditions for this time of year?”

Harper shook her head. “Not really. When I was little, my parents would give the chef both days off and make family recipes. My mother’s mostly Italian and my dad’s family’s from China, so the food was always good. I don’t think they’ve done that since I left for college, though. They usually take a cruise these days.”

Deborah nodded in understanding. “Well. We’re glad to have you with us, then.” She reached over to squeeze Harper’s shoulder, then stood from the table. “I’m going to go stir the jambalaya,” she explained, heading for the kitchen. “There’re plenty of cookies, if you’re craving one; John, I promise I made each and every one of them long before your sister arrived from New York.”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Candace huffed, crossing her arms and glaring playfully over at her brother. “I was _six_.”

“And vengeful,” Abe added, dodging the bit of cookie she tossed at him. “Hey! That’s wasteful.”

“So was throwing out all the cookies you were able to sneak past Mom,” his sister retorted.

There was a knock at the front door before Abe was able to reply. He glanced up confusedly, narrowing his eyes slightly. “Mom,” he called into the kitchen, “were you expecting anybody else?”

“No,” his mother returned. “But we can’t exactly leave whoever it is just standing out there.” She exited the kitchen, drying her hands with a cotton towel, and headed for the entryway. She pulled open the door, letting out a shriek a moment later that had all three of the home’s other occupants practically sprinting for the door.

William Abraham was standing there when they arrived, still in his fatigues, with a wide grin on his face and a healing cut on his left cheek, wrapped tightly in his mother’s arms. “Probably should’ve called ahead,” he said sheepishly, meeting his older brother’s gaze. “I just thought I’d surprise everybody. Didn’t mean to make all of you cry.”

“I’m not crying,” Abe replied, though he sounded rather choked up himself. “This is a hell of a surprise, Liam. Didn’t think they were sending anyone home anytime soon.”

“Neither did I,” Liam admitted, smiling down at his mother when she finally pulled away. “Sorry, Mom.”

“All my babies are in the same place, at the same time, and in time for the New Year,” Deborah choked out. “I’m so beyond okay, sweetheart. I’m just – I’m so glad you’re home safe.”

“So am I,” Liam replied honestly. “Though I really didn’t mean to make you cry. Or her,” he sighed fondly, laughing quietly when his older sister stepped forward to embrace him, as well. “This is making me feel real crappy about coming home, sis.”

“Shut up, you jerk,” she sniffled, pulling away a moment later. “Mom was cutting onions earlier.”

“No,” Abe informed his brother, embracing him briefly. “She wasn’t.”

“Oh, great,” Candace sighed, glancing over at Harper with a roll of her eyes. “I so missed the two of you being able to mock me together.”

“You know you did,” Liam returned, turning to Harper. “You must be Harper.”

“I am,” Harper confirmed, smiling as she shook his extended hand.

“Nice to put a face to a name. My brother hasn’t really shut up about you in the past six or so months,” Liam informed her.

Harper glanced over at her boyfriend, raising a brow. “He hasn’t, has he?” she questioned, smirking when Abe cleared his throat and glanced away shyly. It wasn’t an emotion she saw from him frequently; it was beyond endearing each time she did.

“He’s a little lovesick, in case you haven’t noticed,” Liam continued, grinning unrepentantly in response to his brother’s half-hearted glare. “I’m just glad he finally got his act together.”

“That is something I can agree with,” Harper replied, resting her head briefly against Abe’s arm.

“I think it’s something we _all_ can agree with,” Deborah voiced, smiling over at the female captain. “Come in,” she urged her youngest son a moment later. “It’s freezing out there.”

“I wasn’t going to mention it, but yeah,” he concurred. “It is.” He walked deeper into the house, allowing his mother to close the door behind him. “So, Ma,” he began conversationally, “what’s for dinner?”

“Jambalaya,” his mother supplied, linking her arm through his.

“Well,” he sighed fondly, “it’s nice to know some things never change.”

“Yes,” Deborah agreed, pausing to glance between her three children. Her eyes still glistened with tears. “And I hope some things never will.”

**Author's Note:**

> For some extra, non-essential information:  
> -Liam's full name is William O'Reilly Abraham. He was born on July 9, 1991.  
> -Candace's full name is Candace Kelly Abraham. She was born on December 21, 1988.  
> -O'Reilly is Deborah's maiden name.  
> -In my head, I've cast Deborah as Maureen McCormick, Candace as Hayden Panettiere, and Liam as Austin Butler (with his blond hair). 
> 
> Do these things really matter, in the long run? Not particularly. But I'm a stickler for details, and I came up with all of this, so I decided I'd make some sort of use of it beyond my own amusement.


End file.
